As I was getting ready to make my breakfast casserole, I suddenly had the impulse to make it healthier by adding vegetables. I asked my kids what vegetable they thought I should add and my oldest son replied “BACON!”

My son’s transcripts from college indicate that he is quite bright, so I am pretty sure he knows bacon isn’t a vegetable. I think bacon is just his default answer to most questions. I have discovered that if you ask male college students what you should add to any recipe the most common answer is bacon. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.

Bacon is more expensive per pound than most of the meat I buy, so when it goes on sale I stock up and freeze it for later use. I also cook up a batch and crumble it and use it sparingly in recipes to add flavor rather than using it as a side dish.

You can make this with whatever meat you have on hand. I usually make my hash brown casserole with ham, but sausage works well too. And a combination of both ham and sausage is always a hit. No matter what meat you use, cut it into very small pieces. This allows you to get a nice meaty flavor through out the casserole while using half as much meat of other casseroles.

Alea Milham shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home at Premeditated Leftovers. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less. Alea can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
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